THTE 43

Chapter 43
The warehouse cleanup began in earnest.

The children changed into clothes that could get dirty, and they tied scarves over their heads to keep the dust off.

Just in case, they also covered their noses and mouths with handkerchiefs.

“Nini, you’ve become a little thief!”

Nibellia seemed pleased with her outfit and shouted at Soles and Aref to look at her.

“Then you two check below. Muniel and I will look above. Be careful not to knock anything over.”

“Let’s see who goes first!”

Excited, Nibellia proposed a contest.

“You could get hurt that way. How about we go slowly and carefully?”

“Okay!”

And so, the warehouse cleanup began.

The warehouse contained all sorts of things:

Old books, mysterious paintings, cracked old plates, and silver candlesticks.

Porcelain dolls that seemed like they would walk at night, extremely thin and soft fabrics, and unidentified lumps of metal.

“Wow…”

Nibellia couldn’t take her eyes off anything.

The warehouse reminded her of a museum, and she was amazed. Who knew our house had so many interesting things?

Everything felt like treasure.

Maybe that was why:

“How much do you think this is worth?”

“Hmm, I don’t know…”

“Could you buy ten loaves of bread with it?”

The children’s conversation was surprisingly materialistic.

“I think this painting is really expensive. Maybe an unknown artist sold their soul to create this masterpiece.”

“Nini! This! This is… that! A diamond!”

“I think that sword hanging there looks expensive. I heard knights’ swords could be worth a whole house!”

Before long, the warehouse cleanup had turned into a contest of “Who can find the most valuable treasure first!”

Every time the children spoke, their handkerchiefs fluttered over their noses and mouths.

Muniel and Ardoreus exchanged quiet smiles.

“As long as they’re having fun, that’s fine.”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

From the start, the cleanup had been just an excuse to play with the children.

Fortunately, seeing them happily chatting and playing made Muniel feel that the day would pass safely.

“Uh?”

At that moment, something caught Nibellia’s eye.

A coin lay on the floor.

“Money!”

It was a beautifully crafted gold coin.

On the yellow coin was the image of a woman, and on the reverse side, there were inscriptions.

“This is Ancient Script.”

Soles explained.

“Ancient Script?”

“It means it was used by people a long time ago. But since the coin is so clean, it probably isn’t that old.”

“……”

Aref, who had been staring at the image of the woman on the coin, looked at Muniel.

“…It looks like the Saint.”

Muniel smiled as if confirming the answer.

What Nibellia had found was a commemorative coin made to honor Saint Muniel, who had eradicated monsters 40 years ago and led the Crepartna War to victory.

“Memories come flooding back.”

Muniel toyed with the coin, lost in thought.

“The people who made this… I would’ve personally gone and killed them all…”

“Ahem!”

Ardoreus’s cough cut through like the roar of a beast.

Muniel realized her slip and corrected herself properly.

“…Uh, I scolded them.”

“Why?”

Aref asked.

In kindergarten, they had learned that having your face on gold meant you did something extremely commendable.

But why did she scold the people who made it?

The children couldn’t understand.

“Because many people suffered because of the war, and they shouldn’t have spent money making useless things like this.”

The Crepartna War.

Some called it the “First Human War” or “The End of the World.”

Humanity fought monsters knowing it might be their last battle.

And after a long struggle, humans emerged victorious.

Thanks to heroes led by Saint Muniel.

There was no time to enjoy victory. Those who survived had to rebuild a ruined world.

Every coin was needed for reconstruction.

And yet, someone made these useless coins?

“When I was a child, my grandmother begged those who made them, burying them in the ground, to never make anything like this again.”

Don’t use this as a shield for your power, you little brats.

If you want to be the losers of the Second War, fine, I’ll let you.

…Perhaps water would be cleaner than dirt?

Thanks to Muniel’s heartfelt persuasion, all coins bearing her face were collected.

They used those coins to build shelters for orphans and the elderly.

“The building made then is now the Capital General Hospital.”

The empire’s largest and most competent hospital paid rent monthly to the Deiamore family.

This was who Muniel Deiamore was.

“Wow!”

The children applauded in response to Muniel’s tale.

“……”

Ardoreus silently recalled the events of that time.

‘So much blood was shed…’

Because of those coins, countless lives were lost under a sacred name.

Thinking of that, Muniel felt truly human.

“Grandma.”

Nibellia, holding the coin, asked,

“Can I keep this, Nini?”

“Yes, you may.”

“Hehe! Mom’s face!”

Nibellia held the coin tightly in both hands.

“It’s not Mom, it’s Grandma.”

Soles corrected her, thinking she had mistaken it again.

“……”

But Nibellia didn’t answer, instead glancing at Muniel.

When their eyes met, Muniel winked and placed a finger over her lips.

Nibellia responded by closing both eyes tightly, still unaccustomed to winking with only one eye.

The warehouse cleanup continued.

This time, without playing around, they carefully checked where everything was while moving diligently.

Nibellia scrubbed and organized the items earnestly.

They discovered tents for outdoor use, chairs, and tools for roasting meat.

They moved the items to the garden, dusted them off, and washed them clean with water.

Nibellia, afraid of getting wet, hid behind Ardoreus’s broad back and watched.

“Phew.”

Wiping the sweat off her forehead with her hand, Nibellia stretched her arms and legs like a cat.

“All done!”

“……”

“All done, done!”

“D-done…!”

Aref also stretched his arms in imitation.

“That was fun! Can we clean the warehouse again next time?”

Soles, having enjoyed the warehouse tour, asked Ardoreus to let them go in again next time.

Ardoreus gladly agreed.

Seeing his grandson eager to learn the family history made him embrace the boy tightly.

“Me too! Hug me too!”

Nibellia ran over, bouncing and whining.

Ardoreus lifted her up as well, hugging her tightly. Her clear, happy squeal rang high into the sky.

Aref, waiting his turn, was also picked up and hugged with all his strength.

Muniel watched her husband, acting like a grandfather playing with the children, with loving eyes.

But soon a question crossed her mind.

‘…The remaining coins were in the box.’

Muniel had collected all the coins bearing her face.

‘How could I leave such embarrassing things lying around?’

Most were melted down and converted back into regular coins, but a few were kept in a box in the warehouse by Ardoreus as souvenirs.

And now, some had gone missing.

“……”

Muniel’s blue eyes turned toward the mansion.

Years had honed her gaze, and it found something hidden in the warehouse.

‘That lizard…’

How should I deal with it?

“…So, as instructed, I informed Petra Yeongsik about the mining business investment in the Frok Kingdom.”

“……”

Della listened as an employee gave a concise report, carefully checking the details on the documents.

“Well done.”

Della removed her glasses and praised the employee.

“Continue as planned. If there are any requests…”

“……”

“Delrak?”

The employee, currently posing as “Delrak” for intelligence purposes, couldn’t hide his uneasy expression.

Della silently waited for him to speak.

“It’s… frightening.”

Della’s brows slightly furrowed.

“Does that child trouble you?”

The employee didn’t deny it.

He exhaled shakily.

“Ma’am, what I’m about to say may not be proper for someone in intelligence…”

A bead of cold sweat appeared on the face of the employee known for being the most handsome in the intelligence office.

“…Human fear stems from ignorance. That’s the principle we in intelligence hold dear.”

“Yes. I built the intelligence office based on that principle.”

In her youth, uneducated Della now held all the empire’s information in her grasp.

The employee paused again.

“But that child…”

Della seemed to understand what he wanted to say.

To expose the weaknesses of the silent.

Or to track a spouse’s infidelity.

Various clients come to intelligence with their own purposes.

The intelligence office collects not only their requests but also their stories.

No one is exempt.

The new client who recently established ties with the intelligence office was no different.

But the more the employee investigated, the more inexplicable and disturbing it became.

“That child, Lima, knows a lot.”

The girl Della personally brought.

A small, delicate girl with striking pink hair.

Lima casually revealed classified information that even the intelligence office struggled to obtain, like she was talking about a neighbor’s domestic squabble.

The Frok Kingdom’s mining business, the Petra family succession disputes, even the location of the evil dragon Ather’s eggs.

“But…”

The employee trembled uncontrollably.

“Considering her past actions and current situation…”

“She knows things she shouldn’t?”